General Discussion

In this clip, a malicious ANI file is dropped onto the Vista desktop. Explorer crashes and restarts, and crashes and restarts, and crashes and …

Hackers stepped up attacks Friday on computers running some versions of Windows, a day after Microsoft disclosed a hole related to the mouse cursor. Microsoft Corp. sent out a security advisory Thursday warning customers that a vulnerability in “.ani” files - used to change the cursor into an hourglass while a program works, or into a dancing animal or other animation on specially designed Web sites - was allowing hackers to break into computers and install malicious software.

People are calling it a zero day vulnerability, but from what I've read it was discovered in 2005 and simply not addressed. The problem in Vista is just the same as the problem in all Windows versions that use the affected code in IE. Apparently Firefox has some of that code as well.

More a case of people pretending it's a new hack to make it sound exciting… When in reality, it's something more banal.

Still, Microsoft is shitty for ignoring this problem. It exposes how lax they are yet again.

I hate Vista…. My work upgraded ONLY my computer to Windows Vista to test drive it. It's not too bad but still I rather have my Windows 2000 back on here before they switched it (Thats pretty bad huh lol). As for the YouTube video… It's Internet Explorer (7 at that) what do you expect?! lol…. Plus aren't some of the new features stolen from Macs?

This weekend my dad bought Windows Vista and I was so trying to talk him out of it. At least wait until they have the first service pack or something. But No he didn't listen…

And ccs1989 you should invest in a MAC lol my co-workers always suggest getting a MAC.

I don't care how badly Windows bugger up, I'm never going to switch to Macs, I've had very, very nasty experiences with Macs, mostly at college, where they to amount to pretty boxes that are actually full of shite.

But I don't want to turn this thread into a Windows V Apple argument so ‘Yeah! Vista sure does suck’.

I don't know if Vista sucks. XP sucked until they upgraded the service pack. But nothing is unhackable, or virus free.

Vista is a lot like XP is some ways. Word of warning though - Vista Office applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc) are totally different than their predecessors. It's almost like learning them all over again.

It's nice to look at, I'll say that. I'm just not willing to abandon a perfectly good OS for that one though. Besides, it is a bigger memory hog than even XP.

i like my xphell i liked my old windows, but since i couldn't run some programs on it i had to upgrade. i don't want some crazy OS with multiple cubicle windows, i want a simple interface. why would i play around my windows when i can play games instead.

SomeoneThe Redmond-based software company told customers last Thursday about a vulnerability in “.ani” files, which are used to change the cursor into an hourglass while a program works, or into a dancing animal or other animation on specially designed Web sites. Security experts said the hole was actively being exploited by hackers to install keystroke-logging programs.

Ken Dunham, director of the rapid response team at iDefense, the research division of VeriSign Inc., said a group of Chinese hackers was using the security hole to steal and sell log-ins to the popular “World of Warcraft” multiplayer computer game.

Security experts said the hole was actively being exploited by hackers to install keystroke-logging programs.

With the way Vista works, it's rather unlikely they installed any key loggers on it, or anything else. Maybe they could do trivial stuff like shut it down, but the default permission levels block anyone from installing programs like that… Sorta one of the main points of the whole thing. ;)

All the key logging stuff was probably XP, which had exactly the same flaw.

This is all the better reason not to jump ahead and buy the latest vista upgrade. Okay, so if the computer comes with it, fine, I'll take it but my computer came with XP and I'm remaining as such until my computer can no longer handle any upgrades. But if it's just a little slow in starting up, that's fine, I can live with that. If it ain't broke don't fix it, that's what I always say.

Yep. PCs are vulnerable to these things but, this is only if you do not keep up with the antivirus software. If you update your software yearly, and run the live updates periodically you're not apt to have any problems. But if you don't do this then you will have problems.

SomeoneDell Once Again Offers Windows XPBy JESSICA MINTZ, AP Business WriterWindows Logo(AP) – Back by popular demand: Windows XP. PC maker Dell Inc. said on its Web site Thursday it will once again let home PC buyers choose between Microsoft Corp.'s older operating system and Windows Vista when they purchase certain new machines.Dell, like many computer makers, stopped offering XP on most home desktops and laptops soon after Vista launched at the end of January. By late March, the company said only two models aimed at home users could be configured with XP (the option still existed on many models for business users).

But on Dell's IdeaStorm Web site, where visitors can post suggestions for the company and vote on the ones they think are important, a plea titled “Don't eliminate XP just yet” racked up more than 10,700 votes.

“We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings,” Dell responded in a Web posting Thursday.

The company said it will immediately offer XP again an option for four models of its Inspiron notebooks and two models of its Dimension desktop PCs.

This comes just weeks after Dell said it is also planning to offer PCs with Linux, a free operating system that competes with Windows.

“This is really odd,” said Michael Silver, research vice president at Gartner. “On new PCs, consumers usually do want the latest and greatest.”

Microsoft countered that Dell's move was in response to a “small minority of customers” with a “specific request.” Michael Burk, a product manager for Microsoft's Windows Client group, said in an e-mailed statement, “The vast majority of consumers want the latest and greatest technology, and that includes Windows Vista.”

Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of JupiterResearch, said many consumers continue to buy XP because it's familiar, it works with their existing hardware and programs, and is overall “good enough,” even though Vista boasts a prettier user interface and stronger security.

“Microsoft is going to have to work hard to make sure that even if companies like Dell are offering XP, their customers don't want it,” Gartenberg said. Now is time for the company to crank up Vista marketing, but that may be harder than it sounds.